Dr. Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle in the Province of Ancona in
1870. She was the first woman physician in Italy. In 1894 she created
the Montessori Method. Maria Montessori had a keen interest in
children and education. Dr. Montessori created an environment for
self-realization and self-education; she put into practice her theory that
a child has a natural “tendency towards elevation”. According to Maria
Montessori one person cannot educate another person, an Individual
must do it himself or it can never be done. The Montessori Method is
followed in thousands of schools all over the world today.

Montessori Method

The Montessori Method is an education method of helping a child to develop his overall
personality at the appropriate age level and period. Freedom is essential for a
child to develop his personality; this freedom is achieved through self-discipline, order, and work.

Each child is unique. The Montessori environment has a certain order and helps
children to develop at their own pace, as per their own abilities. There is no competitive
atmosphere in a Montessori environment.

The environment is multi-age classes that span children of three levels; this
encourages a strong sense of community. The environments are child-centric. This
allows a child to develop his independence and leadership skills.

In the Montessori Method, we rely on hands-on and concrete materials to bring in
concepts to children rather than textbooks and workbooks as books are abstract. The
method assumes that every child is born intelligent; it is just that they progress at their
own pace and learn in different ways. In a Montessori environment, children move
ahead as quickly as they are ready!

Montessori is an education for life!

VARIOUS AREAS IN MONTESSORI INCLUDE

Exercises of Practical Life

These activities help children develop muscular coordination and to realize the order and logic through activities. Thus, it leads the child to take care of oneself and the environment.

Sensorial

These specially designed activities help to become conscious of the senses, thus laying a strong foundation for abstract learning and giving way to the next aspect.

LANGUAGE

The activities here help to develop spoken language, enrich vocabulary, and perfect pronunciation. Stories, Rhymes, Plays, and, group conversations are given importance in the environment. The aim is to increase the child's knowledge, organization of thought, confidence, and ability to express.

ARITHMETIC

Arithmetic, which is an abstract form is brought within the reach of hands and senses through scientific approach. Here the child is helped to recognize the quantity and then the number before being introduced to symbols. The child is helped to understand decimal system and its application operations through various activities.

CULTURE

It becomes essential to create an awareness of human culture in order to complete the total development of the child. Children learn about people and their countries through pictures, flags, maps, food, and music. Visit to the garden and near by shrines is part of Prerana. There is an emphasis on learning Indian traditions and festivals.